Thursday, 27 March 2014

There seems to be some confusion about Oculus Rift. Let's get a grip on the hype and get something straight. Oculus Rift is not virtual reality. Virtual Realities are 3D digital worlds and places.

We can experience virtual worlds right now through something that could be described as a magic window or more commonly called .... a computer monitor.

Virtual Reality Worlds are already here.

GAME / STORY VIRTUAL REALITIES
Multi-User Game Realities such as Halo, Call of Duty, Everquest, World Of WarCraft, Rift, Elder Scrolls, are all a type of virtual reality. I would call these limited virtual realities or perhaps frozen or fixed virtual realities as users have limited control, they play and act out specialised parts such as warriors, healers, soldiers, magicians etc whatever that realm/story/game world dictates. These are limited story based virtual realities.

VIRTUAL REALITY .... IS A PLACE
The only real virtual world that exists right now is Second Life, created by Linden Lab. It's the only 3D world that qualifies as a living virtual reality. Real virtual worlds have user generated content, economies and commercial ecosystems. Second Life is currently the only virtual world that fully empowers users in this way.

OCULUS IS A MEANS TO AN END - IT'S NOT THE END ITSELF
Oculus Rift is just one of the means of seeing into a virtual world. Oculus is a marvellous, super, duper, stereoscopic Head Monitor, it's an aid to immersing oneself into virtual reality. But it's not virtual reality itself. Oculus Rift is a fantastic bit of tech. I hope with the 400 million USD they got from Facebook, they can speed it's developement and make it perfect. I wish them well.

IF OCULUS IS WORTH 2 BILLION - SECOND LIFE'S LIVING COMMUNITY ASSET IS WORTH 20 BILLION
If Oculus Rift, as an unfinished, stereoscopic, immersive head monitor, is worth 2 billion USD - on the strength of what it will be in 3-5 years - then Second Life, the only real virtual reality world that exists today, with it's established community of creators, users and existing virtual ecosystem and content , must be worth at least 20 billion USD or more ...... since Second Life is a 'LIVING PLACE' .... it is currently the only qualifying candidate that can call itself a real virtual reality.

Note to Self ...
I'm officially coining the phrase 'LIVING PLACE' as a qualifying necessity of any virtual reality. If there are no other real people, that are not you, present .... creating their own stories, experiences and shaping themselves and their surrounding environment ... then it's not a true virtual reality.